Committee Unanimously Agrees to Deny Bail to Habitual Stalkers

DENVER--Today, the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee gave unanimous support to Senator Owen Hill's (R-Colorado Springs) House Bill 17-1050, denying bail to repeat offenders of stalking or domestic violence.

Under current law, certain crimes are exempt from the possibility of bail. HB 1050 adds to the existing list, a second offense of stalking or domestic violence that occurs within seven years of the first offense.

According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 in 4 women will experience intimate partner violence or stalking in their life. Of those victims, 77 percent of women aged 18 to 24 we're victimized multiple times by the same offender, the number increases to 81 percent for women aged 35 to 49.

Under Colorado's mandatory arrest laws, if a peace officer has any cause to believe domestic violence has occurred, an arrest will be made. However, offenders are often quickly released and reoffend, discouraging many victims from ever reporting the crime.

"Some thugs just don't learn. They keep harming our vulnerable neighbors. " said Hill "Our first priority in these situations is to keep victims safe. This bill ensures they are comfortable reporting these tragic incidents to law enforcement. By denying bail to repeat offenders, we can give vulnerable Coloradans the security to know it is safe to start rebuilding their lives, we can give them hope, and we can stop these violent criminals from offending again."

House Bill 17-1050 now continues on to a vote of the Committee of the Whole.